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The elements of “Mother Earth” – resonate with nature.  

At face value, the piece depicts the undeniable ecological demise that is taking place on this planet, but there is more behind each component of this intricate creation. There is a parallel story taking place. A reflection. An unorthodox self-portrait. I could not find a better way to express this story than through nature. 

From the top! 

Okay, let’s take it from the top! [in best director voice] Like a song or a script, this piece tells a story. Let’s put the central subject [Mother Earth] aside for a moment, and focus on the periphery elements: bees, fox, flowers, thorns, birds, etc. These are the things that Mother Earth is bringing color to, and thus, are the true narrators. 

You will find four bees in this piece, but the two at the top are playing the biggest role as they look over the entire scene. Bees symbolize that it is time to examine your productivity and make you aware when disorganization and indecisiveness are facilitating missed opportunities. Additionally, they show how hard work and social organization creates abundance in our lives while maintaining our self-identity. In my previous blog I mentioned a type of mental paralysis because my mind was so full of the fear of letting go of things that no longer made me healthy mentally and physically.  Since that time, I have been more cognizant of when this was happening to me and have found the courage to move through these ebbs and flows of life in a more decisive and exact manner. I simply cannot hold on to something, playing the “what if” game, when it does not align with my inner peace, growth, or moral standards. 

The circle of life. 

Moving right to left, you will find a Chickadee and a fox. In between you will find the crown of roses with thorns. These elements have a general theme as well as individual, but I will start with the overall story. Nature is beautiful, but equally harsh. The fox is actively pursuing the bird, and although buffered by the flowers, the thorns bring blood. Who do you root for? There really is no easy answer. If the bird survives, he lives another day to sign his song and feast on seeds, berries, insects, invertebrates, and occasionally small portions of carrion. The fox goes hungry, but as you can see, the circle of life does not end. 

In addition to this cycle, the narrative continues.  The Chickadee is adaptable and brave. One of the few birds that do not desert us during cold winter months, one may underestimate the bird’s capabilities in leu of its small stature. The Chickadee teaches us to avoid being distrustful of others while knowing how to stay out of harm’s way, and encourages us to seek new ideas, perspectives, and paths to growth. 

A rose between two thorns. 

In between I have combined the crown of flowers with a crown of thorns. While the flowers represent victory, celebration, love, and romance the thorns denote sin, sorrow, and hardship. Specifically, the roses coupled with the thorns represent pain and pleasure.  This is what life is – pain and pleasure. You simply cannot have one without the other. 

What does the fox say? 

The fox is gentle and kind but will not hesitate to be crafty if the situation calls for it. For me, this means having the ability to quickly determine the best solution and move swiftly through challenges and obstacles. An increased awareness of other’s behaviors and true intentions. In contrast to the Chickadee encouraging trust, the fox is equally important.  Unfortunately, life has presented situations where I have had to sharpen my power of observation to see through lies and deception. As a trusting and caring soul, this is something that is difficult for me and brings me heartache regardless of how many times the situation presents itself. 

Joy around the corner. 

As we move down, we see a hummingbird. Charmingly carefree and happy, they seem to appear out of nowhere to show that joy is unpredictable and can often be just around the corner.  More importantly, they remind us to live in the moment and enjoy life's simple pleasures. For this reason, hummingbirds are very special to me on a personal level. Growing up, my parents had many hummingbirds that visited their farm. My mom, aunt, and I would get cozy in our lawn chairs facing the horse pasture with cup of coffee in hand while hummingbirds flitted around us under the big Sugar Gum tree.  I have the hummingbird facing the heavens as my aunt is no longer with us.  In addition, the three columbine flowers symbolize faith, hope and love. 

A new birth. 

Caterpillars are associated good luck and new birth, as during this stage in life, they feed to gain strength and strong foundation that enables a creative expression of life.  I find this important, as I tend to go “all in” and sometimes lack patience when things are not moving as fast as I would like. The caterpillar signifies a gentle and quiet approach to growth that requires patience to meet its full potential. The painting specifically depicts a Monarch caterpillar on its host plant, milkweed – the only source of nutrients for the Monarch caterpillar. The milkweed represents the well of patience I must draw from to sustain my goals.  Looking down, you will find a dragonfly which rounds out the new birth and transformation with adaptability, and self-realization. 

Gentleness and grace in challenging moments. 

As we move along, the Aglais Io, or Peacock Butterfly, represents the result of new birth with all-seeing eyes. The butterfly rises from the purple coneflower which is a symbol of strength and healing.  These two elements flow directly into the fawn for good reason. One of the largest components of this piece, the fawn represents living with grace and gentleness even in difficult situations. This rings true to one of the mantras I live by – live life with a kind heart. Although tempting, we disservice ourselves by reacting to challenging situations in a retaliatory, hateful, or jealous manner. This only allows darkness to enter your soul and negatively to rent space in your head.  The fawn represents the energy of love and harmony with one’s self.  This is all cradled by Mother Earth. Her tears are not happy nor sad, they are both as we move along with time.

Full circle, 

Finally, you will notice I have placed two bees over the heart of the fawn. It is my greatest wish for all living things to co-exist with peace and love. I feel peace and love should be part of our central being. I am not saying life will be peaceful in the sense that there is no death or heartache, that is not possible. This we have learned from the fox, bird, and crown.  I am saying, I feel if we should strive to live with peace and love along with the ebb and flow of life.